Help identifying please?

[pachi_sloter]

Meijinkai (rain-balls).

I don't know if "rain-balls" is your own made up name or some other dealer's name but I think it should be made clearer that that's not what the real name means. "Meijin" means master or expert and "kai" means meeting, party, or association.

The old Sankyo database called the guy with the spinning umbrella the "kasa meijin" which means umbrella master.

In Japan they have traditional Juggling and balancing groups called "Daikagura" troupes. These have acts called "kasa no kyoku" where people balance things on spinning parasols.

You can see pictures of the acts on these pages:
http://www.ise-daikagura.jp/stunt/stunt5.html
http://www.edo-daikagura.com/japanese/kasa.htm
http://www.daikagura.jp/2002050602.html

If you have a broadband connection there is a movie of the Edo Daikagura Troupe. The act with the parasols is at 3:24-5:00.
http://www.edo-daikagura.com/japanese/movies.asx

Edo Daikagura Troupe's website:
http://www.edo-daikagura.com

[arbycoffee]

Very Cool Beaners

[logicprobe]

Meijinkai (rain-balls).

I don't know if "rain-balls" is your own made up name or some other dealer's name but I think it should be made clearer that that's not what the real name means.

Couldn't think of anything other than that to quickly reference the pic... and at 2am, it was my "stupid dealer name". :smt015
Glad you translated that for us. Thanks. The links are cool!

How do the others translate?

[pachi_sloter]

Pachinko Taishou

The "tai" part means large or big and "shou" means prize, reward, or praise so translated it would be something like "Pachinko Big Prize".

[pachi_sloter]

New Fundoshi Taisyou
Fundoshi means loincloth and Taisyou means boss or leader.


Daimyoujin GP II
"Dai" part means large or big, the "myou" part means bright or light, and the "jin" part means god. It looks like it has a shrine, to a god or goddess, in the center with yellow rays of light radiating out from it.